Community confidentiality,consent, and the individual research process: Implications for demographic research

Institutional review boards are increasingly meticulous about informed consent and risks and benefits to study participants. Concurrently, heated debate in a number of fields has advanced the notion of community risk and benefit. When research is conducted in communities, and the results may “do harm to” communities socially, economically, or medically, should informed and voluntary consent be obtained from communities as well? We argue that for demographers – by definition interested at the phenomena at the population level – concern for individuals as a part of communities is critical to the research process. Questions of community consent, confidentiality, and participation will be pushed to the fore as demography delves into new areas and methods of investigation. This paper provides a brief overview of the historical development of ethics in human subjects research and the subsequent ties to community-level concerns. Drawing on current examples from a variety of settings, we explore definitions of community, the scope and viability of community participation in research, and the implications of these for demographic enquiry. We find that in contrast to substantive debates, little attention has been given to ethical issues in the demographic research process. Research accountability to communities, including the documentation of community risks and benefits, and community representation and consultation in the research process are recommended.     

Fertility in Kenya and Uganda: A comparative study of trends and determinants

Between 1980 and 2000 total fertility in Kenya fell by about 40 per cent, from some eight births per woman to around five. During the same period, fertility in Uganda declined by less than 10 per cent. An analysis of the proximate determinants shows that the difference was due primarily to greater contraceptive use in Kenya, though in Uganda there was also a reduction in pathological sterility. The Demographic and Health Surveys show that women in Kenya wanted fewer children than those in Uganda, but that in Uganda there was also a greater unmet need for contraception. We suggest that these differences may be attributed, in part at least, first, to the divergent paths of economic development followed by the two countries after Independence; and, second, to the Kenya Government's active promotion of family planning through the health services, which the Uganda Government did not promote until 1995.     

Population-level adult mortality following the expansion of antiretroviral therapy in Rakai,Uganda

There are limited data on the impact of antiretroviral therapy (ART) on population-level adult mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. We analysed data for 2000–14 from the Rakai Community Cohort Study (RCCS) in Uganda, where free ART was scaled up after 2004. Using non-parametric and parametric (Weibull) survival analysis, we estimated trends in average person-years lived between exact ages 15 and 50, per capita life-years lost to HIV, and the mortality hazards of people living with HIV (PLHIV). Between 2000 and 2014, average adult life-years lived before age 50 increased significantly, from 26.4 to 33.5?years for all women and from 28.6 to 33.8?years for all men. As of 2014, life-years lost to HIV had declined significantly, to 1.3?years among women and 0.4?years among men. Following the roll-out of ART, mortality reductions among PLHIV were initially larger in women than men, but this is no longer the case.     

Quality of life research: New challenges and new opportunities

In recent years there has been growing interest in applied quality of life research and involving the community in the research process with the ultimate goal of improving the social and economic circumstances of people. Increasingly, community-university partnerships are seen as an effective vehicle to achieve this. The Community-University Institute for Social Research (CUISR) based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada is a successful example of such as partnership. CUISR’s quality of life module has conducted extensive research in Saskatoon and has been active in engaging the community in developing strategies and setting priorities for action. This paper serves as a brief introduction to the Special Edition of Social Indicators Research. It provides the context for the collection of articles contained in the publication and outlines its organization.     

黄土丘陵沟壑区农村居民点分布模式空间统计分析——以甘谷县为例

根据2008年SPOT遥感影像得到甘谷县农村居民点空间分布信息,继而运用样方分析法、最近邻距离指数、K函数、热点探测技术研究了甘谷县农村居民点空间分布格局与模式。结果显示：甘谷县农村居民点的空间分布具有明显的空间依赖性,总体上呈现出轻微集聚分布的特点;随着研究尺度的变大,居民点空间分布的集聚性指数也增大;居民点空间分布的热点区域在微观尺度上具有空间随机性、在中观尺度上具有边界集中性、宏观尺度上具有面状集中性的特点。     

The importance of international demographic research for the United States

International demographic research hasprovided many benefits for the U.S. This paperidentifies five main reasons for these benefits. First, cross-national research provides unique policyinsights that help the U.S. to develop more effectiveprograms and policies to address pressing andpersistent domestic challenges. Second, it helps theU.S. to understand and address problems and issues inmany countries or regions of the world that are ofparticular relevance to the U.S. because of theirstrategic or commercial importance to us. Third, ithelps the U.S. to address problems and issues that areglobal in nature and require international policyresponses. Fourth, it helps the U.S. to providehumanitarian aid to poor countries more effectivelyand efficiently. Finally, it contributes to theadvancement of science, which in turn stimulates andenriches research focusing on the U.S.     

宁夏银川市流动人口现状暨对策研究

本文在考察宁夏银川市流动人口动因、构成特征、职业状况等方面的基础上,研究与探讨流动人口对宁夏银川市在城市化进程与经济发展以及构建和谐社会方面的影响,试图在此基础上,提出关于对银川市流动人口发展与管理的对策。     

论加强青海人口发展战略研究的必要性与紧迫性

面对青海日益严峻的人口形势,要求我们必须要用科学的态度正视青海的人口问题,抓紧研究青海人口发展战略,这不仅是实施青海可持续发展战略的前提条件和重要内容,也是实现全面建设青海小康社会的客观需要和制定青海经济社会发展规划的重要依据。     

中国乡村劳动力转移、资本存量与全要素生产率之间格兰杰因果关系的研究

本文通过对中国乡村劳动力转移和资本存量、乡村劳动力转移和全要素生产率之间协整关系、因果关系进行检验,检验结果表明,他们之间存在长期稳定的协整关系,并且资本存量和乡村劳动力转移存在单向的因果关系,乡村劳动力转移是促进全要素生产率增长的原因。由于资本存量对全要素生产率的增长起间接作用,因此根据索罗余值法,将资本存量完全独立于全要素生产率,可能低估资本存量对经济持续增长的作用。     

The effect of female migration on infant and child survival in Uganda

This article uses data from the 1996 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey to examine whether migration of women improves the survival chances of their children to age five. We expand on prior research by testing not only the hypothesized positive effect of rural-urban migration, but also the effects of other migration stream behaviours on child survival. Results show that up to 10% of children die before age five and within-group differences in mortality exist among urban and rural children depending on their mother's migration status. Only urban-urban migration was significantly related to child survival, compared to rural non-migrants, after controlling for other factors, although other streams of migration (rural-urban, urban-rural, rural-rural) were positively related to child survival. Generally, migration explains a small component of the variance in child survival. Several other factors, including parents' education, household size, household headship, mother's age at birth, duration of breastfeeding, and place of delivery have a significant predictive power on child survival.     

The elimination of contraceptive acceptor targets and the evolution of population policy in India

In 1996 the government of India announced a new national population policy that eliminated numerical targets for new contraceptive acceptors. This paper examines the history of target setting in India and factors that led to the elimination of targets. The analysis is based on published and unpublished reports on India's population policy and the family planning programme and interviews with senior Indian and foreign officials and population specialists. Five factors are identified as playing a role in the evolution from target setting to a target-free policy: (1) the research of India's academics; (2) the work of women's health advocates; (3) the support of officials in the state bureaucracy who approved the target-free approach; (4) the influence of the donors to India's family planning programme, especially the World Bank; and (5) the International Conference on Population and Development.     

The Housing Domain of Quality of Life and Life Satisfaction in the Spontaneous Settlements on the Tehran Metropolitan Fringe

The aim of this article is to survey the spontaneous settlements on the Tehran Metropolitan Fringe (TMF), to determine the different housing sub-domains of quality of life (QOL), to survey overall life satisfaction and to determine the extent to which overall life satisfaction is explained by the components of the housing domain of QOL in these spontaneous settlements. Three spontaneous settlements on the TMF were selected by stratified random sampling method. Household interviews were conducted to gather the needed data. Nineteen indicators were selected to reflect the housing sub-domains of QOL. A factor analysis identified seven housing sub-domains of QOL: housing consolidation, housing amenities, housing space, housing quality, housing basic services, housing durability and security of tenure. In all three settlements surveyed, an inverse relationship was found between satisfaction and dissatisfaction. Very few residents expressed a neutral view about life satisfaction in the settlements surveyed. In all three settlements surveyed, respondents felt they were more satisfied with their life in their previous settlements. Stepwise multiple regression analysis was performed to determine the extent to which overall life satisfaction is explained by the seven extracted components of the housing domain of QOL. The results indicated that there is a direct relationship between the main reasons for migration to these settlements and the housing sub-domains of QOL.

Moving towards local-level indicators of sustainability in forest-based communities: A mixed-method approach

Forest-dependent communities can beexemplified in terms of subsistencedependence, park-based tourism dependence, ortraditional logging dependence. In monitoringthe sustainability of these places,researchers have struggled to develop relevantindicators responsive to their unique social,economic, and environmental conditions. Inthis study, we attempt to deal with theseconditions by employing a quality-of-lifeframework in the selection of local-levelindicators, and by scrutinizing theseindicators in term of their relevance tospecific sustainability concerns. We usedworkshops, an indicator evaluation framework,and survey research to identify relevantlocal-level indicators of sustainability intwo Saskatchewan communities. Findingsemphasize the need for caution in assertingthe utility of ``one-size-fits-all' approachesto community sustainability. These communitiesdefine progress toward sustainability quitedifferently and therefore require a unique setof progress measures.     

Midwives experiences of participating in a midwifery research project: A qualitative study

Problem and background

In an earlier research project midwives were asked to perform women-centered care focusing on the assumption that the physiological process in the second stage of labour could be trusted and that the midwives role should be encouraging and supportive rather than instructing. There is no knowledge about how midwives participating in such a research project, uses their skills and experience from the study in their daily work.

乡村生育中男性偏好的社会学解释

农村生育中男性偏好根本理由不在经济、制度、心理等方面,我国农村受儒家生育文化的广泛影响,形成了与之一脉相承的生育俗文化,它潜在规范制约着人们的伦理道德和作风行为。这种传统生育文化,以及由它营造的民间风俗为农民生育选择设置了多个问题情境,构造了农民生育心态上的趋同现象,并在国家计划生育政策强力作用下催生出农民偏好男性的生育行为。     

农村第一代已婚独生子女父母养老心态及其影响因素分析

基于2011年江苏、四川两省720户中老年农民调查数据,以同龄的非独生子女父母为参照,对农村第一代已婚独生子女父母的养老心态及其影响因素进行探索性分析。结果表明,在对待自己养老问题的担心上,独生子女父母的担心程度略高于非独生子女父母。而在子女能否赡养、经济上能否支持、生病时能否照顾上,独生子女父母的担心程度均低于非独生子女父母,在年老时是否感到孤独寂寞上,独生子女父母担心程度略高于非独生子女父母。对独生子女父母养老总体心态的多因素方差分析发现,婚姻状况、亲子关系、子女婚后支持变化、居住条件及生活满意度等变量可能是显著影响研究对象养老心态的重要因素。     

社会流动机制的转变对农村生育率的影响

随着我国由计划经济向市场经济转型、从传统社会向现代社会转变,农民的社会流动机制发生了变迁。社会流动机制的转变必然导致经济、社会诸多变量的变动,而经济和社会变量的变化又影响着生育行为。本文从宏观层面探讨了社会流动机制的变迁对农村生育率的影响。     

我国农村社会保障发展路径的研究综述

目前学术界对我国农村社会保障的研究相对集中在探索农村社会保障的发展道路上。大多数学者认为我国城乡二元结构的特殊格局决定了城市社会保障和农村社会保障之间存在较大的差异,无法在短期内实现完全意义的城乡社会保障体系一体化,目前只能通过一种过渡性的制度安排,在完全割裂的城乡二元社会保障制度之间构建衔接模式;构建农村社会保障制度必须考虑我国农村经济发展水平低且很不平衡的国情;农村社会保障基金的筹集渠道包括财税支持,土地收入,集体或乡镇企业补贴,农民个人交费等。